A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers for liquids intended to be directed to a particular point of application and, in particular, to an accessory for such containers for releasably mounting a spout to said container.
B. Prior Art
There are many instances in which liquids are intended to be dispensed from containers to predetermined points of application. For example, many liquids are intended to be poured into particular openings from the container. One example of this is a container containing a gasoline additive which is to be applied to the gasoline tank through the gasoline filling pipe opening. In doing so, it is important that the liquid not go elsewhere than in the pipe lest it mar the car's finish.
While a spout could be fastened to the opening on a can by simply mounting the spout having a threaded end onto a correspondingly threaded protruding opening of the can, if the can is knocked over, or if the free end of the spout is not tightly covered, the liquid contents may spill out or may evaporate. Besides, the length of the spout may make the overall package too high for shelving systems of stores or garages where it may be placed for convenience. Convenience for the consumer is greatly to be desired to save the consumer time and to keep the distributor of a liquid product competitive. It is also desired to keep the liquid contents of the container within that container when not in use both to prevent its accidental spilling or evaporation, or to enable child-proof closures to be used when the container contents are not to be dispensed.
The prior art contains numerous examples of accessories or attachments for containers which include liquid-directing elements such as spouts. Among them are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,160,327; 3,204,829; 3,750,722; 4,129,236 and 4,403,709. U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,327 teaches a plastic spout and retroflexing closure therefor which is formed integrally into the opening of the container. It has no provision for a releasable attachment of an elongated spout, nor does it have a screw-on-gasketed type of cap for the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,829 also does not provide an elongated spout nor does it enable the use, when desired, of a screw-on-gasketed type of cap or other child-proof closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,722 shows a container for a liquid such as oil in which the wide end of a funnel snaps over the rim of the can and the small end of a funnel, which may be capped, extends upwardly. This increases the height of the container unnecessarily and does not enable the very tight closure that is required for volatile or dangerous liquids that may be within the container after it is once opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,236 is a spout which is primarily intended to be integral with the container. It also extends upwardly from the container for a distance which may be undesirable for marketing purposes. Furthermore, it does not permit the use of a screw-on-gasket closure for prevention of evaporation and child security.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,709 is a pouring aid which snaps onto the upper rim of a can and has a spout formed therein. However, this spout is vertical and may extend upwardly for an undesirable distance. Besides, there is no way of using a very tight screw-on-gasket closure when the spout is not being used thereby preventing evaporation and possible misuse by children.
It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide an accessory for directing liquid from a container which:
1. Does not, when marketed, require excess vertical space.
2. Allows the use of a screw-on-gasket cap to close the opening of the container when the liquid-directing spout portion of the accessory is not being used.
3. Enables the container to use more childsecure closure means when the spout accessory is not being used.
4. Allows the associated container to be more tightly closed when the spout accessory is not being used thereby reducing loss of contents by evaporation.
5. Enables a liquid-directing spout or the like to be kept in accessible proximity to the container.
6. Has other advantages which will occur to the reader on perusal of the specification, claims and drawings herein.